KATHMANDU, MAY 18 -
A day before the Parliamen-tary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC)
discusses the recommendations for apex court justices, Prime Minister
Sushil Koirala on Saturday held separate meetings with at least half a
dozen leaders from fringe parties and sought their support for getting
the names endorsed.
With 30 votes in the 72-member parliamentary panel, small parties could be the game changer. Without the support of fringe parties, the Nepali Congress will have difficulty in passing the names as coalition partner CPN-UML is sharply divided over whether to extend its support for the candidates. The opposition UNCP (Maoist) and some fringe parties have demanded a review of the recommendations for eight apex court justice posts.
“The PM sought our support and asked for idea to sort the row,” said CPN (ML) Chairman CP Mainali. Koirala was accompanied by Law Minister Narahari Acharya in the meeting.
Koirala asked the leaders to seek an early solution to the problem. “Why should the PHSC block the Judicial Council’s recommendations?” the PM wondered, expressing dissatisfaction at the PHSC decision to summon JC members to discuss the matter. The PM hinted that, if needed, Minister Acharya would appear before the PHSC for clarification as a JC member.
The government’s reading is that most of the complaints registered at the PHSC against the recommended judges are from those who
lost cases in verdicts delivered by the eight judges at various courts. On this ground,
the government is preparing to defend the charges
against some. “It’s natural for someone losing a case to criticise the ruling. The allegations against the judges are not serious,” said a Cabinet minister.
Pledging their support to the government, the leaders suggested a review of the judicial council’s decision and urged the PM not no invite a tussle between the judiciary and Parliament.
“In the face of criticisms and complaints, we seek to know how the recommendations were made. We should be made clear about the complaints,” said Mainali. “I told the PM to talk with ruling and opposition parties for a solution before the situation takes a nasty turn.”
Almost all the leaders who held separate talks with the PM advised him to review the decision talk to all the parties and set a precedent so that such a fix does not repeat, said another leader.
Campaign in UML against candidates
As part of their campaign to press the party leadership to block the recommendation of justices by the Judicial Council, a majority of central committee members of the CPN-UML submitted a memorandum to party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on Saturday.
Party’s youth leaders asked Khanal to instruct the party’s members in the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee to act towards taking action against those making the recommendations and reject the nominees for apex court justices.
“We request [you] to instruct our party’s members in the committee to play a constructive role to take action against those involved in the process and correct the recommendation process for judicial independence,” the memorandum read.
Over four dozen CC members had reached the party headquarters to submit the memo. “We are campaigning to bar controversial people from assuming the respectable apex court positions,” said Bijaya Poudel, a campaigner. The campaigners said 40 lawmakers have expressed their solidarity while over 40 CC members, in the 121-member central committee, who were not available in Kathmandu consented via email.
UML youth leaders are miffed at their leadership after Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam instructed lawmakers not to implement the parliamentary committees’ decision to summon JC members for clarification.
The party was dragged into a controversy after JC member Khem Narayan Dhungana reached its headquarters seeking endorsement of the candidates.
Subsequently, Gautam not only defended that he had invited the latter to the party office but said there is no need for JC members to furnish clarification to Parliament.
The memorandum, however, is for summoning JC members to the House committee. “The decision to summon the JC members is as per the principle of the separation of powers and an independent and responsible judiciary,” the memorandum states.
The campaigners argue that judges recommended for permanent positions in the apex court are ineligible and incompetent also because some were recommended for action by the apex court itself.
Receiving the memorandum, Khanal said his party had not deviated from its earlier position to oppose the names and would form its official stance soon after a discussion in the party. The party has called a meeting of its Standing Committee on Sunday.
Khanal, who had earlier instructed party’s lawmakers to block the JC recommendations, has reportedly hinted to the Nepali Congress of his support for the endorsement of the names.
With 30 votes in the 72-member parliamentary panel, small parties could be the game changer. Without the support of fringe parties, the Nepali Congress will have difficulty in passing the names as coalition partner CPN-UML is sharply divided over whether to extend its support for the candidates. The opposition UNCP (Maoist) and some fringe parties have demanded a review of the recommendations for eight apex court justice posts.
“The PM sought our support and asked for idea to sort the row,” said CPN (ML) Chairman CP Mainali. Koirala was accompanied by Law Minister Narahari Acharya in the meeting.
Koirala asked the leaders to seek an early solution to the problem. “Why should the PHSC block the Judicial Council’s recommendations?” the PM wondered, expressing dissatisfaction at the PHSC decision to summon JC members to discuss the matter. The PM hinted that, if needed, Minister Acharya would appear before the PHSC for clarification as a JC member.
The government’s reading is that most of the complaints registered at the PHSC against the recommended judges are from those who
lost cases in verdicts delivered by the eight judges at various courts. On this ground,
the government is preparing to defend the charges
against some. “It’s natural for someone losing a case to criticise the ruling. The allegations against the judges are not serious,” said a Cabinet minister.
Pledging their support to the government, the leaders suggested a review of the judicial council’s decision and urged the PM not no invite a tussle between the judiciary and Parliament.
“In the face of criticisms and complaints, we seek to know how the recommendations were made. We should be made clear about the complaints,” said Mainali. “I told the PM to talk with ruling and opposition parties for a solution before the situation takes a nasty turn.”
Almost all the leaders who held separate talks with the PM advised him to review the decision talk to all the parties and set a precedent so that such a fix does not repeat, said another leader.
Campaign in UML against candidates
As part of their campaign to press the party leadership to block the recommendation of justices by the Judicial Council, a majority of central committee members of the CPN-UML submitted a memorandum to party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on Saturday.
Party’s youth leaders asked Khanal to instruct the party’s members in the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee to act towards taking action against those making the recommendations and reject the nominees for apex court justices.
“We request [you] to instruct our party’s members in the committee to play a constructive role to take action against those involved in the process and correct the recommendation process for judicial independence,” the memorandum read.
Over four dozen CC members had reached the party headquarters to submit the memo. “We are campaigning to bar controversial people from assuming the respectable apex court positions,” said Bijaya Poudel, a campaigner. The campaigners said 40 lawmakers have expressed their solidarity while over 40 CC members, in the 121-member central committee, who were not available in Kathmandu consented via email.
UML youth leaders are miffed at their leadership after Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam instructed lawmakers not to implement the parliamentary committees’ decision to summon JC members for clarification.
The party was dragged into a controversy after JC member Khem Narayan Dhungana reached its headquarters seeking endorsement of the candidates.
Subsequently, Gautam not only defended that he had invited the latter to the party office but said there is no need for JC members to furnish clarification to Parliament.
The memorandum, however, is for summoning JC members to the House committee. “The decision to summon the JC members is as per the principle of the separation of powers and an independent and responsible judiciary,” the memorandum states.
The campaigners argue that judges recommended for permanent positions in the apex court are ineligible and incompetent also because some were recommended for action by the apex court itself.
Receiving the memorandum, Khanal said his party had not deviated from its earlier position to oppose the names and would form its official stance soon after a discussion in the party. The party has called a meeting of its Standing Committee on Sunday.
Khanal, who had earlier instructed party’s lawmakers to block the JC recommendations, has reportedly hinted to the Nepali Congress of his support for the endorsement of the names.
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